Normalcy

People strive for normalcy. The state of being usual. Things are typical and expected. Life is funny in that way. People think they are spontaneous when they decide to go out unexpectedly, when they say yes to an offer to have drinks on a Wednesday night, when they do something that's not normal. When they break free from the daily round. But really, they're still living in normalcy. They come home to the same home, with the same stuff in the same places. They turn on the same roads, they eat at the same restaurants.They do this for years, their whole life even.

People take this for granted. People take normalcy for granted. At times I long for normalcy. You see, many aspects of my life are temporary. Our homes are always temporary, and I'm not talking like the Carrie Underwood song about our "temporary home" here on earth or whatever. No, I'm saying that our literal houses are always temporary. Does it sound silly that all I really want to do is plant a tree and watch it grow? I want to look at our huge tree years from now and tell how I planted it myself.

I'm not complaining about our nomadic lifestyle. It definitely has an upside. We get to see beautiful things that a lot of people don't see. We get to meet new people and make new friends. It's made me feel really secure in knowing who I am. Living in different places exposes you to new ways of thinking, ways that you will either decide that you like and adopt yourself, or ways that don't fit for you. But you know they don't fit for you, because you've lived them. The biggest upside of being a traveler is the appreciation it brings for time with family.

I think living in far away places has enriched my life. Like most things in life, there are good days and bad days. Sometimes people tell me that they would never be able to do what I do. Yes you could, you just don't want to. People tell me how strong I must be. Perhaps, but it comes down to your ability to adapt. That's what it's all about. As far as that goes, I am good at adapting to changes. If I wasn't, I wouldn't be here now. Somehow we always make our house a home.

Our current living situation is very temporary. We have an apartment for a few months before Ben deploys, at which time Violet and I will go to home to Tennessee for the duration of the deployment. So our current home is even more temporary than usual, but it's no less a home. We're still making memories here. It's nice a cozy. Our things are here. It still feels great to come home to after a busy day. I still bathe my baby and put her down to sleep every night here.

This is mine and Ben's fourth home in three years of marriage. One day (in about 13 years) I'll plant a tree.